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The brakes on the car i bought recently is pretty bad (car was stored for a long time) -its ok at low speeds but at high speeds it gets really loud, i plan to do a complete brake job - replacement of rotors, pads, sensors etc. Since I have never done brakes before i plan to take it to a shop this weekend.

My question is how much should i be expected to pay for a complete brake job with OEM parts? How much is too much?

What size rotors should i be getting?

Is it possible to re-surface (not sure if this is the right word) the rotors and just replace the pads?

Any recommendations on some good shops in the GTA area?

Sorry for all the noob questions, and sorry if this is like a repetition question.

Brakes are one of the easiest things to replace. There's tons of detailed DIYs. Just Google "E46 Brake DIY."

Rotors sizes are 325mm front and 300mm rear. (This is pre-determined by all online vendors as long as you're buying 330i brakes. All other non Ms have smaller rotors.)
Brembo blanks or Zimmerman are the equivalent of the OE rotors.

For pads I recommend Textar (OE), Pagid or Jurid (all essentially the same). Another option is Akebono Euro which are ceramic pads. They produce virtually no brake dust but at the cost of less initial bite. Your call.

Dealers have a set package pricing on brake jobs, most bmw shops like the one I am at also use that pricing as a guide because we only recommend the OE be used. You can get it done cheaper at a garage but that is with aftermarket rotors/pads. I have yet to see a cheaper aftermarket pad/rotor outlast or last as long as the OE so... if you can live with possible shake rattle and roll to save a buck, good luck.

I know some here will say not ture, that's fine, just going by what I have seen day in and out.

Brakes are one of the easiest things to replace. There's tons of detailed DIYs. Just Google "E46 Brake DIY."

Rotors sizes are 325mm front and 300mm rear. (This is pre-determined by all online vendors as long as you're buying 330i brakes. All other non Ms have smaller rotors.)
Brembo blanks or Zimmerman are the equivalent of the OE rotors.

For pads I recommend Textar (OE), Pagid or Jurid (all essentially the same). Another option is Akebono Euro which are ceramic pads. They produce virtually no brake dust but at the cost of less initial bite. Your call.

Use ATE Super Blue for brake fluid.

Thanks StraightSix! Now my next question would be where do you buy your parts from? Do you get it from a dealer? Which online vendors are good?

I did watch a few online videos and it seems fairly simple, the only thing im not sure of is the brake fluid bleeding part, if im only replacing the rotors and pads do i need to bleed? Im not touching the calipers.

Dealers have a set package pricing on brake jobs, most bmw shops like the one I am at also use that pricing as a guide because we only recommend the OE be used. You can get it done cheaper at a garage but that is with aftermarket rotors/pads. I have yet to see a cheaper aftermarket pad/rotor outlast or last as long as the OE so... if you can live with possible shake rattle and roll to save a buck, good luck.

I know some here will say not ture, that's fine, just going by what I have seen day in and out.

Well i just want the brakes to be replaced with somthing of the same quality as the factory brakes it came with, while i do agree that some shops use cheaper brakes - there are a few that will do a good job with quality equipment (based on what i read). I guess it all depends on how much you are prepared to spend.

What brands do you use at your shop? Also would you be able to provide me with a price for a complete brake job?

Thanks StraightSix! Now my next question would be where do you buy your parts from? Do you get it from a dealer? Which online vendors are good?

I did watch a few online videos and it seems fairly simple, the only thing im not sure of is the brake fluid bleeding part, if im only replacing the rotors and pads do i need to bleed? Im not touching the calipers.

Once again sorry for all the questions.

Stay away from the dealer! You have a lot of choices for vendors. If you want to avoid shipping costs, there's autopartsway. In the US there's BMAautoparts, FCPeuro, ECS tuning, etc..

If don't feel confident bleeding, then just swap the rotors and pads yourself first then take it to an independent shop for the fluid change (they can probably bleed you clutch too since it operates under the same hydraulic system.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by madonthemike

Well i just want the brakes to be replaced with somthing of the same quality as the factory brakes it came with, while i do agree that some shops use cheaper brakes - there are a few that will do a good job with quality equipment (based on what i read). I guess it all depends on how much you are prepared to spend.

Stay away from the dealer! You have a lot of choices for vendors. If you want to avoid shipping costs, there's autopartsway. In the US there's BMAautoparts, FCPeuro, ECS tuning, etc..

If don't feel confident bleeding, then just swap the rotors and pads yourself first then take it to an independent shop for the fluid change (they can probably bleed you clutch too since it operates under the same hydraulic system.)

The brands I listed above perform identical to OE standards.

Now i was just looking at the textar pads at autopartsway - not sure about the quantity -. Do i need four or do i need 8 ?

If your local dealer charges more than this it is simply their choice to rob you, these are bmw specified prices. As well as changing the rotors and pads we do a nice service for our customers of cleaning the wheel hubs, nuts if need be and using a good copper paste appose to grease, clean the rims and so on.

Furthermore while on the hoist we always do a general inspection of the vehicle, bushings, leaks, scan the car, maintaining the car is important etc. Not sure if your average dealer wouldnt do this too but unlikely and they charge for scans. With them you are there for one thing.

Also remember to compare apples to apples when pricing jobs.
You can easily get it done cheaper with cheaper parts.
That said I wouldn't consider OE the only option, there are many great aftermarket brake options (and alot of not so great ones).

Brembo Blanks or Zimmermans with Hawk HPS, Akebono, Axxis, PBR, etc are all great options.

However, I get my parts from amazon. I track these parts with no issues. No issues on the street either. Even has a bit less brake dust.
I get 60-80,000km out of the rotors, and pads depend on how much I track.

However, I get my parts from amazon. I track these parts with no issues. No issues on the street either. Even has a bit less brake dust.
I get 60-80,000km out of the rotors, and pads depend on how much I track.

Sorry to bring up an old thread, didnt want to create a new thread for the same question. Just wanted to know how the Centric rotors are? And if i were to buy from Amazon.com how does shipping work? Would I have to pick it up in the US?